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Eventually, Dominic pops his head through the doorway. His features are solemn, but they soften at the sight of Rosie sleeping in my arms. “I have to go.”
He lifts Rosie out of my arms and settles her on her bed. “I need you to lock yourself up in the house and sit tight for a while.”
Fear spikes through my chest. “What’s wrong?”
“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just go.”
I follow him out of the house, watching his tense shoulders. “It’s Xan, isn’t it?”
“Soph-”
“I’m coming with you,” I blurt, and before he can protest, I jump into his car. “Fighting with me will just slow you down.”
For a moment, he glares at me like he wants to strangle me. But then he just shakes his head, sighs, and gets in. “I’m going to regret this.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ALEXANDER
I SIT in the living room for god knows how long, just staring at my reflection in the dark windows. It may be late, but sleep won’t be happening soon. Not when Sophia isn’t next to me.
At some point, I find myself in swim trunks, heading outside and diving into the pool. For as long as I can remember, swimming has always helped me to clear my head.
Lap after lap, I let the water calm me.
Thoughts of Sophia clog my mind. Our first-ever kiss. The time I was wrenched out of my car and thought I’d never see her again. When I broke up with her and it almost killed me. In the club, when I pulled her onto my lap and she relaxed into me. Or earlier today, when she tried to hold back her screams, but she couldn’t.
No matter how much I’ve tried, I can’t get my heart to feel the way it feels for Sophia for any other woman. And believe me, I’ve tried.
But I’m hers, wholly. I always have been. And I always will be.
When I get out of the pool, my body is finally feeling tired. Unfortunately, my mind is as fucked up as ever.
As I towel off, I take deep, measured breaths. I force my thoughts off into a different direction—my childhood, playing with Brooke and the Grayson brothers.
Looking back, it seemed like every day that we would escape to the Grayson house. It was either that or try to find a place in the house where we couldn’t hear our parents fighting.
I sigh. Of course my happiest childhood memories are tainted by my father. What isn’t? He was always in the background, being his asshole self. And no matter how much I tried to protect Brooke from him, he still got to her.
Still told her she wasn’t pretty enough, wasn’t thin enough, would never be enough. The way he treated her still disgusts me, even though he’ll never be able to hurt her again.
My fists clench around my towel. Fuck. How am I going to tell Sophia the truth? What if she never sees me the same again?
“I never thought of you as much of a deep thinker, Hendricks.”
I spin around to see Tristan standing on the other side of the pool.
How the hell did he get this close to the house without tripping off any of the motion sensors? I glance at my phone on the table. I should’ve gotten a notification.
That’s right—I put it on silent earlier so nothing would disturb me and Sophia.
Just stay calm. The Graysons will get notifications of an intruder.
“Probably because you’re not one yourself.” Throwing my towel onto the ground, I cross my arms. No weapon. No protection. Great. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Oh, just giving you a little warning, since you won’t be able to do anything about it anyway.” Tristan circles the pool, coming closer.
I stay silent, watching his every movement.
